Best Home Theater Design

Dan Shannon

Article #3

How to Design a Home Theater Room

When you’re sitting down to create your home theater room it’s hard to not be a little overwhelmed. That’s OK. It just means your brain is working. Besides the daunting task of choosing the hardware for your home theater, there’s also the décor to worry about. Because if there’s one thing you should remember, it’s that the atmosphere matters almost as much as the hardware in your home theater design.

You’re trying to design a home theater room that you’ll be comfortable in. When planning the layout, don’t forget the amenities: snacks, drinks, etc. Home theater design is about comfort as much as it is about an incredible entertainment experience. The idea is to create a space where you can relax and enjoy your time.

The first step, then, is to think about exactly what you want in your home theater. Think about placement – where is the television going, the speakers, the couches and chairs and refrigerators. Give yourself a decent amount of time to come up with this plan, because you’re going to start preparing your space to have all these components.

The electrical wiring is going to be a very important aspect of your home theater design. Running the audio cables to speakers behind walls is the very best way to keep unsightly wires out of the way, but installing them after the walls are finished is much more difficult.

Lighting, dimmers, and simply power to your devices can also be extremely tasking to install after the fact.

Knowing the basic layout of your home theater allows you to plan all the electrical components before it’s too difficult or financially demanding to have them installed correctly.

Once you know the layout you want in your home theater, you can start to assemble your individual components. Besides the standard television and sound system, you can’t forget to keep in mind the other components that keep your home theater is going to require. This isn’t just the refrigerator and lounge chairs – it’s also higher quality cables and acoustic panels that maintain the quality you’re trying to attain.

And while you’re thinking along this line, imagine the entire experience in the home theater. Answer as many of these questions as you can. Will you want a bar? Do you want theater-style popcorn with a movie? How do you want to interact with the screen – what kind of remote do you want? What other components are being connected? Video games? Computers? The more you know beforehand, the better your home theater room will end up.

Just one thing to remember when designing a home theater – there’s always going to be an upgrade. Leaving yourself a little room for a new device (or a better one) to be able to keep your home theater room top-of-the-line. Technology hasn’t stopped evolving yet, and there isn’t a reason to think it will soon.

Well, there is one more thing to know about home theater design. Have fun! For most people, this is a once in a lifetime experience.